Hermes or SuperHermes, this is the problem!

Nagging hardware related question? Post here!
Post Reply
User avatar
Giorgio Garabello
Gold Card
Posts: 277
Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2015 8:39 am
Location: Turin, Italy
Contact:

Hermes or SuperHermes, this is the problem!

Post by Giorgio Garabello »

SMSQ / E with the MACHINE command can detect if Hermes / Superhermes is present. Is there a way to distinguish via software if it is hermes or superhermes in order to automatically load the correct drivers?

Giorgio Garabello


martyn_hill
Aurora
Posts: 909
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 9:53 am

Re: Hermes or SuperHermes, this is the problem!

Post by martyn_hill »

Hi Giorgio

Good question. The difference between the sizes of the two extension files is considerable, though nether one is _that_ big (Hermes IPCEXT: 356 bytes, sHermes IPCEXT: 5600 bytes.)

One can leverage the IPCVER$ command which should differentiate between Hermes/sHermes or original 8049, but of course, you need toload one of the two extensions first!

One approach that isn't too waste-full might be:
1. Load the original Hermes IPCEXT
2. Test using IPCVER$
3. IF sHermes detected, then load instead the sHermes IPCEXT equivalent - harmlessly wasting the original 356 bytes.

Not sure how well the two extensions will co-exist, but I suspect the last one loaded will simply take precedence over the first.

Easier still, just load the full sHermes IPCEXT - as per the sHermes manual:

"Other than IPCVER$, the extensions will report “not found” if a non superHermes /Hermes IPC is present or a superHermes-only command is requested on a plain Hermes." - so no harm in loading sHermes IPCEXT on an original Hermes fitted QL.

Good luck!


Post Reply